Sandra Lee, TV Host and Companion of Cuomo, Has Double Mastectomy

Sandra Lee, the television host and longtime companion of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, had a double mastectomy on Tuesday, a week after announcing she had breast cancer.

Mr. Cuomo said in a statement that Ms. Lee’s operation had lasted almost five hours and that she was “doing as well as can be expected.” Neither the governor’s office nor Ms. Lee’s representatives would say at what hospital the operation occurred.

Representatives for Ms. Lee, who hosts cooking shows on the Food Network, posted updates on her condition on her Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon, saying she was “a little groggy, but grateful the surgery is completed.” Another Facebook notice said she had woken before dawn to prepare for her operation, and was driven to the hospital by Mr. Cuomo, who stayed with her until she was anesthetized.

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Sandra LeeCreditThos Robinson/Getty Images North America

Ms. Lee, 48, announced in a television interview last week that she learned that she had breast cancer in late March after a routine mammogram but that it was in the early stages. She said that she had already had a breast lump removed.

Ms. Lee had continued to be active before the operation, online and elsewhere, by posting photos and positive affirmations and promising updates “as well as light, fun ways to make all day, every day special.”

For his part, Mr. Cuomo has said he will take “some personal time” to assist with Ms. Lee’s recovery. Still, he has continued to push his agenda, including a series of events on Sunday to promote an idea to grant tax credits to families of students at private schools. The current legislative session ends in mid-June.

But on Tuesday, both Ms. Lee and Mr. Cuomo’s attention seemed firmly fixed on the operation, while keeping a brave face. The Sandra Lee Facebook page had a photograph of Ms. Lee in an operating gown, alongside the governor, who wore scrubs and a tie.